Trent Casey was diagnosed in March with Pre B-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).  On July 29^th, Trent celebrated his “rebirthday” which signifies the day of his blood stem cell transplant. Trent and his family feel so fortunate that were able to find a matched donor for Trent right away, and now to give that gift to other patients in need! The Be The Match Registry is the national blood stem cell and bone marrow transplant registry that matches patients in need with willing donors! Over 70% of patients do not have a matched donor in their family, and thus must rely on strangers joining the Be The Match Registry to offer hope and the chance for a cure.

Trent Casey (in the blue, seen here with his family)

Joining the registry is free, simple, and fast. If you are 18-44 years old, you can visit my.bethematch.org/CaseyStrong or text “CaseyStrong” to 61474 to register and learn more!! The Casey family and friends are hosting a benefit golf tournament and live auction for Trent and his family with a live auction on July 11^th, 2021 at the Griswold Golf and Country Club.

For thousands of patients with life-threatening diseases, such as Leukemia and Lymphoma, a marrow transplant from an unrelated donor is their best or only hope for a cure.  These patients depend on the national Be The Match Registry to find a match – and a second chance at life.  While many patients do find the life-saving match they need each year, currently there are Iowans in need of a transplant who have no matched donor.  They are waiting for someone new to register.  More donors are needed to help increase the likelihood that all patients will find a match.

A simple cheek swab is all that is needed to determine if you could be the one to save one of the thousands of patients in need of a bone marrow or blood stem cell transplant.  You’ll only be contacted if you’re a match for someone in need.  We are seeking 18-44 year olds, in good health, that are willing to donate to any one in need to come out and join the Be The Match Registry. This event is open to the public.

If anyone is interested in registering but cannot attend the donor drive in honor of Trent, you can join the registry online at my.bethematch.org/CASEYSTRONG. A swab kit will be mailed to your home with instructions and a confirmation sent to you once completed.

ABOUT BE THE MATCH AND THE IOWA MARROW DONOR PROGRAM

Be The Match is the national blood stem cell and bone marrow transplant registry. This registry matches patients in need with willing and life-saving donors to cure over 80 different diseases like Leukemia, Lymphoma, and Sickle Cell Anemia. The Iowa Marrow Donor Program (IMDP) is Iowa’s Donor center for Be The Match. IMDP works with Iowan patients and donors to facilitate bone marrow and blood stem cell donations and to also recruit new potential donors to the Be The Match Registry. The Iowa Marrow Donor Program is located at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics.